Cleaning Your Gear

Tent Cleaning & Storage

Always clean and dry your tent before putting it away -- never store a damp tent. Storing your tent loosely in a large stuff sack or box will also help prevent mildew.  A musty odor and/or small cross-shaped spots on the tent fabric indicate mildew formation. This fungus actually penetrates the urethane coating of the tent fabric and grows between the fabric and the coating, eventually destroying the fabric.

Should mildew begin to form, immediate action can be taken to slow further growth. Hand wash the tent with mild soap and tepid water. Do not soak your tent in detergent. Rinse and air dry out of direct sunlight. Next, wipe the tent with a sponge in a solution of 1/2 cup Lysol and one gallon lukewarm water. Leave the solution on the fabric and allow the tent to air dry.

Down Products

Down is a very high-performance fill, and can be very dependable if kept in good condition.  Down sleeping bags should be cleaned after 30-45 nights of use, and down coats should be cleaned every season.

To wash down products, use a non-detergent soap in a large sink or bathtub. Rinse it several times until all soap has been worked out, then push the water out. Don't wring it out, and don't pick it up when still wet.  Dry immediately after washing in a tumble dryer at low heat. Put a tennis ball or tennis shoe in the dryer as well, to help fluff the down.

Waterproof Breathables

Do not use a liquid detergent on a Gore-Tex or similar fabric. It leaves a residue, clogs the pores of the Gore-Tex and causes leakage.   Never use all hot water or all cold water on Gore-Tex. This will crack the Gore-Tex layer. Always use a warm wash and rinse. The best product we've found to revitalize your waterproof breathable is called TX Direct, by a company called Nikwax Waterproofing. It is a wash-in waterproofing that reproofs garments without loss of breathability.

Pack Cleaning & Repair

To clean a backpack or fanny pack, use a non-detergent soap with a sponge or brush and let it air dry. The most common problems with backpacks are rips, tears, or broken parts.    We carry fabric repair kits with ripstop repair material that should work for most packs. In addition, we keep in stock many buckles, pins, and other parts to repair backpacks, daypacks and other gear.